COVID-19 continues to spread across Canada at a rapid rate and the number of confirmed cases is growing rapidly. We believe learning about the virus is half the battle, so we have compiled some of the most frequently asked questions about COVID-19.
About COVID-19
What is COVID-19? – COVID-19 is a new disease that has never been found in humans. Rarely, the animal coronaviruses can infect people, and even more rarely, the infection can spread from person-to-person by close contact.
Risk of Getting COVID-19? – This disease is considered a serious health threat with the situation evolving rapidly. Of course the risk will vary from province to province and community to community, but with the increased amount of infections, all Canadians are considered to be at “high risk” so please keep up with the social distancing and self-isolating needed to fight the spread.
This in no way means that every Canadian is going to get infected, but that this has already made a significant impact on our healthcare system. If we don’t take the proper proactive moves to flatten the curve this could impact our available healthcare resources.
How Does COVID-19 Spread? – Coronaviruses cause infection of the throat, nose, and lungs. The most common ways an infected person spreads it is through:
- Coughing or sneezing that creates respiratory droplets
- Prolonged contact such as shaking hands, hugging, or touching
- Touching an object that is contaminated with the infection and then touching your nose, mouth, or eyes before washing your hands.
- Evidence has also been suggesting that person-to-person spread is efficient when there is close contact
Symptoms & Assessment of COVID-19
What are the symptoms of COVID-19? – People who are infected with COVID-19 may or may not show the following symptoms as some cases can be asymptomatic:
- Dry Cough
- Difficulty Breathing
- Sore Throat
- Pneumonia in Both Lungs
What should I do if I am experiencing symptoms of COVID-19? – According to the Government of Canada, most people infected with COVID-19 should be able to recover on their own. If you are concerned about your symptoms, self-monitor, self-isolate and complete the online assessment tool, which can be accessed here to determine if you need testing.
Travelling
Can I still travel? – The Government of Canada has recommended to suspend all non-essential travel. Read more here.
I have recently returned from a trip outside of Canada, what should I do? – The Government of Canada has made it mandatory to anyone returning from outside of Canada to do a mandatory 14 day self-isolation regardless if you’re showing symptoms or not.
We hope this list of frequently asked questions helped and we hope everyone out there is doing everything they can to help flatten the curve! Stay safe. ❤All information sourced from the Government of Canada here.